Newspaper editors fined for publishing anti-Semitic letter
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Porvoo District Court imposed fines for incitement against an ethnic group on the deputy editor of the regional newspaper Uusimaa and a man from Porvoo on Monday for the publication of a letter seen as anti-Semitic. Also fined in the case was the editor-in-chief of the leftist newspaper Kansan Uutiset, which published the same letter.
The case stems from a letter written by the man, which was published in July by both newspapers. The writer wrote that the persecution of Jews by the Third Reich was a desirable measure.
Prosecutions for inciting hatred against an ethnic group are unusual in Finland; according to State Prosecutor Mika Illman, there are limits to the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression.
"The purpose of the constitution is to protect human dignity. The letter defamed the Jews, as it presents the ethnic group in question as a target against which extremely violent measures are permissible and desirable."
The writer rejected the charges as ridiculous. The court nevertheless found that the piece could not be justified even as a bad joke.
At the trial, representatives of both newspapers admitted that the article was in bad taste. The deputy editor of Uusimaa, who authorised the publication of the letter in his newspaper, was fined EUR 1,050, and the writer was fined EUR 570.
The writer said that he cannot afford to pay the fine, and will do jail time instead.
Kansan Uutiset originally decided against printing the letter, but the piece ended up in the newspaper due to a clerical error. The editor-in-chief was fined EUR 400 for failing to meet his obligations as editor.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 9.1.2007 - TODAY |
 Newspaper editors fined for publishing anti-Semitic letter
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